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Tesla Superchargers deployed in Norway

To paraphrase the classic Beatles song, Tesla is bringing about a bit of Norwegian Good. The California-based maker of the all-electric Model S has started deploying its Supercharger recharging network across Norway. Tesla has dropped the stations in Lyngdal, Aurland, Dombås, Gol, Cinderella (yes, you read that right, Cinderella) and Lillehammer and says about 90 percent of the Norwegian population now lives within 200 miles of one of the stations. With the top-of-the-line Model S delivering 265 miles on a single charge, that's a good thing.

As many American Tesla aficionados know, the Superchargers deliver as much as 120 kW to the Teslas, giving them enough of a charge for three hours of driving in about 20 minutes. Better yet, the Superchargers provide the juice gratis for those lucky enough to be tooling around the country in a Model S.

Tesla's first US Superchargers went live on the West Coast last October and by last Christmas, Tesla started dotting the East Coast with the stations. As of Friday, Tesla's Supercharger map showed 19 stations across the country, including nine in California alone.

The Norway launch is no accident, either. While plug-ins accounted for about 0.6 percent of US sales last year, they made up more than five percent of auto sales in Norway in 2012. This was helped by the fact that Norway doesn't charge import taxes on EVs, so it should not be a surprise that the Nissan Leaf is a big seller there. Free parking, no congestion chargers and lots of charging stations also make plug-ins attractive in Norway. Check out Tesla's press release below.

With locations in Lyngdal, Aurland, Dombås, Gol, Cinderella and Lillehammer, Norway's most vital and commonly used roads and highways are covered by Tesla Superchargers. Model S customers can drive routes such as the E6 from Trondheim to Oslo, the E18 from Oslo to Kristiansand, the E39 from Kristiansand to Stavanger, and Highway7 from Oslo to Gol for free and with minimal stops. Approximately 90 percent of the Norwegian population lives within 320 km of a Supercharger station, and about 60 percent of the country's total land mass is within the same distance of a station.

Tesla Superchargers represent the most advanced charging technology in the world, capable of charging Model S 20x faster than most common charging stations. Superchargers provide half a charge in about 20 minutes, delivering up to 120 kW DC (Direct Current) power directly to the Model S battery using special cables that bypass the onboard charging equipment. And because Superchargers are located where customers want to stop, near amenities like roadside diners, cafes and shopping centers, road trippers can stop for a quick meal while their Model S charges for free.

The extensive coverage provided by Tesla's Supercharger network allowed three Model S to depart for Oslo this morning from locations in the north, west and south of Norway and travel the following major routes with ease: Trondheim-Dombås-Lillehammer-Oslo; Bergen-Aurland-Gol-Oslo; and Stavanger-Lyngdal- Cinderella-Oslo. During their 500 km journeys, each car charged at two of the new Tesla Supercharger locations, where they were met by enthusiastic customers and local officials. Throughout the day, the drives were chronicled on Tesla's Twitter feed @TeslaMotors and our new European account, @Tesla_Europe, via the hashtag #EuroSupercharger and on Tesla's Facebook page.

About Tesla
Tesla Motors' (NASDAQ: TSLA) goal is to accelerate the world's transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. California-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs, as well as EV powertrain components for partners such as Toyota and Daimler. Tesla has delivered over 15,000 electric vehicles to customers in 31 countries. Deliveries of Model S in Europe started this summer.

About Model S
Model S is the world's first premium sedan built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, meticulously designed and engineered to elevate the public's expectations of what a car can be. At the heart of Model S is the proven Tesla powertrain, delivering both unprecedented range and a thrilling drive experience. With a rigid body structure, nearly 50/50 weight distribution and a remarkably low center of gravity, Model S offers the responsiveness and agility expected from world's best sports cars while providing the ride quality of a premium sedan.
Setting the bar for electric driving range, Model S offers 60 kWh and 85 kWh battery options, delivering unprecedented range of up to 500 km (on the NEDC drive cycle) with the 85 kWh variant. Both batteries are contained within the same enclosure, integrating with the vehicle in the same way, providing structural, aerodynamic, and handling advantages. The batteries use automotive-grade lithium-ion cells arranged for optimum energy density, thermal management, and safety.
Without an internal combustion engine or transmission tunnel, the interior of Model S has more cargo space than any other sedan in its class and includes a second trunk under the hood. The interior features a 17" in-dash touchscreen with Internet capabilities.

Tesla Model S Information

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The author should check his math. At 120 kW (maximum), 20 minutes of charging will get you 40 kWh. Using the best EPA rating of the three Model S versions of 350 Wh/mile, those 40 kWh will get you 114 miles...hardly three hours' worth of driving.

The EPA rating includes AC charging losses, so can't be used directly to figure out the range (supercharging is DC charging, so the AC-to-DC conversion losses should not be included). You need the battery only efficiency, which you can get from the 265 mile for 85kWh or 132.5 miles for a 40kWh charge. Tesla's claim uses 55mph range, which would bump that to about 310 miles for 85kWh or 146 miles for 40kWh. That's about 2.7 miles of driving http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/model-s-efficiency-and-range

Tesla uses bad math for their supercharger figures, I guess the press just follows along. http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger Tesla claims 30 minutes of charge will get you 200 miles range in their graph. Only problem: at 350Wh/mile, you only get 171 miles of range off 60kWh (a half hour of charging starting from empty). And on road trips, where you are at highway speeds, you'll likely do a little bit worse unless you use some (basic) hypermiling techniques like turning off the climate control. Tesla has used to different claims, both of which can be seen on that page. The 20 minute claim is you can about half-fill your car in 20 minutes, which is true if you begin below 10% charge. The 30 minute claim is of a specific (somewhat overstated) range.